Brothers
by SonofForossa
Summary: 'Here lies my greatest friend, who I loved like a brother. Pilgrim to the grave of James Derrin, The Green Knight, here is his story.' -Epitaph upon an unknown tombstone in the Russian Cosmodrome.


Brothers

' _This isn't happening.'_ James thought, as Aiden drew his hand cannon. _'I'm dreaming.'_

Vance stood unwary, as Aiden took aim, just standing there, surveying the landscape before them. Completely unaware of his encroaching death, of the threat, just doing what he always did. Observing.

' _I can't let this happen.'_ James told himself, raising his own rifle. He took aim, and pulled the trigger, just as before Aiden did. The Maverick went spinning away, and then Aiden was turning and looking at him, anger in his eyes. Then he charged, fist raised. James did the same, casting aside his rifle, and then there was a great blast of arc and void energies as their fists met.

Plasteel chips flew as they clashed, two evenly matched incarnations of offense and defense. Their hammer blows hurt, but didn't kill. It would all come down to who could land that perfect blow. And even as they fought, Vance refused to turn around, simply listening as the two best friends, practically brothers, tried to kill each other.

' _This can't be happening.'_ James thought.

 **()()()**

The little boy had his fists raised as the three bigger boys approached him, looking angry.

"You think you can just get our buddy in trouble like that?" One of them asked, a blonde boy with a scowl on his face.

"You're friend got in trouble 'cause he stole Kaiden's pencil." The little boy replied, sounding braver then he felt.

"Yeah, and then you tattled on him like a little snitch." The blonde boy snarled. "So we're gonna show you what we do to little snitches."

And then they rushed him.

The little boy fought admirably, for sure. He gave as good as he got, and his punches definitely had an effect on his attackers, but there were three of them and one of him, and they were all in Grade 4, where as he was a year younger. The blonde boy put him in a puddle with a wicked right hook, and the little boy was crying as his red hair was doused in dirty water. His cheek was already swelling, and he could feel the bruises forming already.

Then the brown haired boy came out of nowhere, dropping the blonde with a right hook of his own, cleanly delivered to the boys jaw. The blondes friends rushed the newcomer, who ducked one punch while elbowing the other bully in the stomach. The second bully gasped for breath while the first was punched in the kidney by the brown haired boy. Then he was giving his hand to the red haired boy.

The red haired boy took the brown haired boy's hand, clasping his forearm in his hand, and the brown haired boy did the same, pulling the red haired boy to his feet.

"My name's Aiden." The brown haired boy said.

"And I'm James." The red haired boy replied, and nothing more needed to be said.

 **()()()**

Two teenagers, little more than children, sparred in the ring before the eyes of their sensei. Fists and feet flew with intensive fury, blows that would cause an adult male to howl in agony ignored in favor of gritted teeth and heavy exhales, before returning to the fight.

"James, get your hips into those kicks!" Sensei Nathan yelled. "Aiden, lower your stance, your stomach is wide open!"

Aiden grunted from a blow to the side of the head, that dazed him for a moment. He brought a forearm up in time to deflect a chopping blow to his ribs, and lashed out with his foot in retaliation. The balls of his foot found themselves impacting against James' ribs, and the red head grunted in pain, before sweeping with his own leg. Aiden jumped back from the sweep, and felt the ropes at his back. He scowled as he realized he had let himself be cornered, and lunged forwards with his right fist.

James deflected the blow with his left elbow, bringing his right around in a blow that knocked Aiden to the floor with its impact. Aiden rolled when he landed, rising to his feet with an uppercut that nailed his friend in the gut, causing James to grunt. Then their foreheads met with a ringing impact, and Aiden was forced back.

He blindly lashed out with his left hand in a sweeping chop, but James grabbed the forearm and tugged him forwards. Aiden turned with the pull, away from James' knee, and brought his right fist back around in a wicked blow that impacted James clear in the solar plexus, knocking the wind from his lungs.

James released Aiden's forearm, and the brunette twisted his momentum into a wicked spinning back kick, that found nothing but air as James ducked the blow and brought his fist up in an uppercut that mirrored Aiden's perfectly, except it hit Aiden in the chin. Another blow struck his exposed throat, and then he was falling to his knees gasping for air.

"Good hit, James, way to use your reach." Sensei Nathan complimented. "But you need to watch your footwork. I counted three times where I could have put you in the dirt. Aiden, don't get cocky when you land a hit. Just keep swinging, don't stop for anything."

James reached out with his right hand towards Aiden, and Aiden gratefully clasped his friends forearm with his palm, and rose to his feet. They turned and bowed to their teacher.

"Yes sensei." They said simultaneously.

"Good." Nathan said, ever the aloof teacher, but both of the boys could see the pride in his eyes. "Now go."

 **()()()**

"Just hand over the money and nobody gets hurt." The man said, the handgun in his hand barely wavering. "Fill the damn bag, or I drop you."

"Of-of course sir." The cashier said, as the man's partner turned to look over the small convenience store's gathered clientele.

Aiden scowled as he peered out from behind the shelf of snack food, his coffee laying forgotten beside him as he surveyed the situation. Two thugs with guns in the shop, and two more right outside. He was wearing sweats and a t-shirt, and had no weapons.

James tapped his shoulder, before making a variety of symbols with his hand. Aiden signed back a confirmation, and James crawled around the corner of the shelf, rolling behind the other shelf beside it. He made a countdown with his fingers.

Three. Aiden took a deep breath.

Two. He braced himself to lunge around the corner.

One. He smiled.

Then James made a fist, and he was moving. The thugs weren't even looking in the right direction, and Aiden wrapped his forearm around the first thugs throat and squeezed, shutting out his airways. A muffled cough was the only sound he made, as James kicked the other thug's knee out from under him, putting him on the floor. The gun went off, the bullet striking the ceiling and punching through cheap tile, as the James put the thug's head into the counter.

Then two more men in balaclavas burst in through the doors, one brandishing a baseball bat as the other pulled a switchblade. Aiden dodged baseball bat boy's first swing before bringing his fist around in a viscous hook that dislocated the man's jaw and put him on the floor unconscious. James had the switchblade impaled in a box of Twinkies and was in the midst of putting his attacker's head into the shelf when Aiden looked over.

Several minutes later, lights were flashing red and blue as the police bundled the four attempted robbers into the cars, the sergeant shaking hands with James and Aiden while he laughed.

"So you're telling me those two took out four armed robbers with nothing but their bare hands and a box of Twinkies?" One of the first news reporters to arrived asked a little old lady.

"Yes, it was like something out of the movies." The elderly woman said. "The man with the red hair blocked the knife with the Twinkies, then slammed the brute's head into the shelf."

"What about the man with brown hair?" The reporter asked, as the camera panned over to the aforementioned brunette.

"It was like he teleported behind the gunman, before he started to choke him out." The lady said. "Then he broke the second mans jaw with one punch!"

"Impressive." The reporter said, before turning to the camera. "Well, you heard it here first folks. It looks like Vancouver has its own two superheroes, at least for today. Join us in a few minutes as we speak to these two heroic men."

 **()()()**

"This is fucking insane, James." Aiden said, looking around at their surroundings. "Absolutely fucking nuts."

"I know, I'm here too." James said, patting his friend on the back. "I'm seeing it too."

They were looking out over the place called 'The Tower', where a group of people in robes had just brought them. They were clad in blank white armour, that looked like something out of a video game, except that it was real. Both of them had pulled off their helmets, and were surveying their surroundings. There were a lot of other people here. And robots, it seemed.

"What do you think we're supposed to do?" Aiden asked.

"I don't know." James replied honestly. "I'm as lost as you are."

Then a hooded man approached them, a serious look on his face. His armour looked like a flak jacket and a BMX helmet, to be frank, but neither James or Aiden believed it was just that.

"Hey," The man called. "You two new?"

"Just a bit." James said, shrugging. "We showed up a few minutes ago, but nobody told us what to do."

"Haven't your Ghosts said anything?" The man asked.

"Well, mine keeps spouting about some guy named 'Zavala', but it doesn't actually know where he is." Aiden said.

"Really? Damn." The man said. "I know where Zavala is, though. Just follow me." He said, leading them down the stairs and to their destiny.

 **()()()**

"I can't believe all of this has been happening." Aiden said, as he cleaned his hand cannon. "I mean, what are the chances we had super powers all this time, and didn't know?"

"I thought we only got our superpowers when the Traveler woke us up from dying?" James replied, as he slipped two more rounds into the magazine he was loading.

"I dunno, man. And what are the chances we both got revived at the same time, right next to each other?" Aiden continued, looking up. "I mean, those are some pretty mean odds."

"But it happened regardless." James said, slapping the newly loaded magazine onto his belt. "In the end, we can just thank our lucky stars it all happened."

"Yeah, I suppose." Aiden said, before reaching towards his friend. "But whatever happens-"

"We're in it together." James finished, clasping Aiden's forearm in his hand. "Now let's go find Vance and kill some Hive."

 **()()()**

"Five dead, eight heavily injured, fifteen lightly injured." James read to Vance, as the Hunter looked over the remains of the Guardian army that was fighting to reclaim this part of the city. "Of the injured, two are too badly hurt to heal, and a third's chances are small."

"Then finish off the three of them." Vance said, causing James to look up. "We can't stop for anything."

"But-" James protested, before being cut off.

"James, we don't have time to stop for anything. We need to keep moving, or else the Fallen will have time to regroup and rearm." Vance said. "And if they do, even more will die."

"Alright." James replied, sighing. "I'll tell the medics."

When he spoke, he saw Aiden standing several feet away. A scowl was on his face, and a look of betrayal in his eyes.

And worst of all, his hands were tapping the handle of his Maverick hand cannon.

 **()()()**

"We were heroes once." Aiden said. "And now we are again."

"Yeah, I missed the feeling." James admitted. "Nothing quite like having awed people looking at you while you walk by."

"It is pretty cool, isn't it." Aiden said. "Makes for a real confidence boost when you know drill officers are telling their trainees about you."

Then Vance walked in, and they both stopped chatting. The Hunter had changed over the months they had been fighting, becoming more and more cold and aloof to his two squadmates. Together they were Fireteam Knight, or just 'The Knights' to most, but had it not been for the fact they fought together, Aiden and James would have thought of Vance as a stranger nowadays.

"It's time." Vance said simply. "Let's go."

And then they followed him to the main docking bay, where they boarded their jumpships via Transmat. James's ghost, Shogun, greeted him as he boarded.

"I trust we're off to the Cosmodrome again?" Shogun asked, his solitary blue eye 'blinking' as it spoke.

"Yep." James answered. "Vance says it's time."

"Well, this should be fun." Shogun said cheerfully, before disappearing.

 **()()()**

"WHY?!" Aiden yelled in Vance's face. "WHY THE FUCK DID YOU KILL THEM?!"

"They led the Fallen right to us." Vance replied calmly, frowning.

"THEY WERE GODDAMN CIVILIANS!" Aiden screamed.

"They were a danger to the City." Vance said.

"THEY WERE RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES!" Aiden screamed again, now only inches from Vance. "THEY WERE SCARED AND HELPLESS, AND THOUGHT WE WERE HERE TO HELP THEM!"

"It doesn't matter who they were now." Vance said. "They're all dead."

Aiden stepped back, visibly shocked, before he scowled.

"You're a fucking monster." He said. "A goddamn piece of shit."

"If I'm a monster, then you're a demon." Vance replied, before turning away.

Then Aiden's hands went to his hand cannon.

 **()()()**

' _This isn't happening.'_ James thought, as Aiden drew his hand cannon. _'I'm dreaming.'_

Vance stood unwary, as Aiden took aim, just standing there, surveying the landscape before them. Completely unaware of his encroaching death, of the threat, just doing what he always did. Observing.

' _I can't let this happen.'_ James told himself, raising his own rifle. He took aim, and pulled the trigger, just as before Aiden did. The Devil You Know went spinning away, and then Aiden was turning and looking at him, anger in his eyes. Then he charged, fist raised. James did the same, casting aside Saterienne Rapier, and then there was a great blast of arc and void energies as their fists met.

Plasteel chips flew as they clashed, two evenly matched incarnations of offense and defense. Their hammer blows hurt, but didn't kill. It would all come down to who could land that perfect blow. And even as they fought, Vance refused to turn around, simply listening as the two best friends, practically brothers, tried to kill each other.

' _This can't be happening.'_ James thought.

James dodged to the right, away from a flying fist, before countering left, right into Aiden's ribs. Aiden grunted before grabbing for James's throat, getting the collar of his armour instead. Aiden threw James aside, but the Defender was up again in moments, just in time to block a flying kick aimed for his skull. James kicked back, but Aiden caught his hand and twisted, almost breaking James's wrist.

James kneed his friend in the side, and forced him to relinquish his grip, before bringing his right hand around in a wicked right hook, like that which had caused them to meet so many years ago. Aiden jumped back, away from the punch, and headbutted him, their foreheads meeting with a wicked 'CRACK'. James tasted blood.

Then Aiden had him by the throat, and he felt something pressing into his stomach. He heard the short retort of a sidearm, then he was falling, falling down, away from his friend. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized what had just happened.

Aiden's eyes went wide as well, and the anger disappeared from them as he too realized what he had done. He placed his hand behind James's head, gently lowering him to the ground, and clasped his forearm in his hand. James tried to return the gesture, but his grip was weakening, and his hand began to slip.

Flashbacks of their previous adventures raced through his mind, even as his vision went dark. He slowly fell away, like his hand, desperately holding on to life.

Then his hand slipped out of Aiden's, and so did his life. The last thing he saw was his best friend crying.

' _Don't.'_ He wanted to say. _'I'll be back.'_

But then he remembered words spoken oh so long ago.

' _If another Guardian kills you outside the Crucible, I can't fix you.'_

And then he was gone.

And Aiden was alone.

 **()()()()()**

 **Finish**


End file.
